What is the difference between clearing the mind and dropping the mind?

A friend has asked: Osho, confusion and clarity—what is that mind filled with delusion, so tangled, the confused mind? And what is clarity of mind? And what does it mean for the mind to be cleansed, fresh, and pure?

This needs a little understanding, because it will be useful for meditation and also for the art of dying. His question is precious. He asks, “What is this tangled mind?” But a mistake creeps in here. We say, “tangled mind, restless mind, confused mind.” That is where the mistake happens. What mistake? We are using two words: “tangled” and “mind.” The truth is, there is no such thing as a “tangled mind.” The state of tangling itself is what is called mind. There isn’t a confused mind; mind is confusion. It is not that there is an unquiet mind; the very name of unquietness is mind. And when unquietness is gone, it is not that the mind becomes quiet—rather, the mind is no more. Understand it this way: a storm has arisen on the ocean, the sea is turbulent, and you say “a restless storm.” Someone will say, “Restless storm?…

Beloved Osho, what is the difference between the emptiness of the child before the formation of the ego and the awakened childlikeness of a buddha?

Whether you are for it or against it doesn't matter -- your concern shows where your ego is hanging. And I will include the capitalist in it also: his whole concern is how to gather money, hoard money -- because money has power over matter. You can purchase any material thing through money. You cannot purchase anything spiritual, you cannot purchase anything that has any intrinsic value; you can purchase only things. If you want to purchase love, you cannot purchase; but you can purchase sex. Sex is the material part of love. Through money, matter can be purchased, possessed. Now you will be surprised: I include the communist and the capitalist both in the same category, and they are enemies, just as I include Charvaka and Mahatma Gandhi in the same category, and they are enemies. They are enemies, but their concern is the same. The capitalist is trying…

Question: BELOVED OSHO, NOT "KEEPING THE MIND STILL, "BUT MINDLESSNESS THOUGH YOU MAY NOT FULLY KNOW WHETHER THE TEACHERS OF THE VARIOUS LOCALITIES ARE WRONG OR RIGHT, IF YOUR OWN BASIS IS SOLID AND GENUINE, THE POISONS OF WRONG DOCTRINES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HARM YOU, "KEEPING THE MIND STILL" AND "FORGETTING CONCERNS" INCLUDED. IF YOU ALWAYS "FORGET CONCERNS" AND "KEEP THE MIND STILL," WITHOUT SMASHING THE MIND OF BIRTH AND DEATH, THEN THE DELUSIVE INFLUENCES OF FORM, SENSATION, PERCEPTION, VOLITION, AND CONSCIOUSNESS WILL GET THEIR WAY, AND YOU'LL INEVITABLY BE DIVIDING EMPTINESS INTO TWO. LET GO AND MAKE YOURSELF VAST AND EXPANSIVE. WHEN OLD HABITS SUDDENLY ARISE, DON'T USE MIND TO REPRESS THEM. AT JUST SUCH A TIME, IT'S LIKE A SNOWFLAKE ON A RED-HOT STOVE. FOR THOSE WITH A DISCERNING EYE AND A FAMILIAR HAND, ONE LEAP AND THEY LEAP CLEAR.

Are mind and consciousness two separate things or is the silent mind (or the concentrated mind) what is called 'consciousness'?

IT DEPENDS. IT DEPENDS ON YOUR DEFINITION. But to me, mind is that part which has been given to you. It is not yours. Mind means the borrowed, mind means the cultivated, mind means that which the society has penetrated into you. It is not you. Consciousness is your nature; mind is just the circumference created by the society around you, the culture, your education. Mind means the conditioning. You can have a Hindu mind, but you cannot have a Hindu consciousness. You can have a Christian mind, but you can't have a Christian consciousness. Consciousness is one; it is not divisible. Minds are many because societies are many; cultures, religions are many. Each culture, each society, creates a different mind. Mind is a social by-product. And unless this mind dissolves, you cannot go within; you cannot know what is really your nature, what is authentically your existence, your consciousness.…

What is a mind filled with illusions? What is a very confused mind? What is clarity of mind?

This needs to be understood, because it will be useful for meditation as well as in learning the art of dying. He has asked a very significant question. He asks, "What is a confused mind?" But here we make a mistake. We say, "disturbed mind," "confused mind." This is where the mistake is. What is the mistake? The mistake is we are using two words -- confused and mind -- and the truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as a confused mind. Rather, the very state of confusion itself is mind. There is nothing like a confused mind. Mind is confusion. Mind is another name for confusion. And when there is no confusion does not mean that the mind has become peaceful; then there is no more mind at all. For example, there is a storm at sea, the sea is restless. Would you call…